Kikwete to meet with UN boss over alternative solution

Kikwete to meet with UN boss over alternative solution
By PAUL REDFERN
Special Correspondent
THE EAST AFRICAN

President Jakaya Kikwete is expected to hold detailed talks with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon over the crisis in Zimbabwe next week.

Tanzanias leader, who is also the AU chairman, is to be sounded out about the possibility of replacing South African President Thabo Mbeki as the key mediator on Zimbabwe.

Mr Mbeki, who has been roundly criticised for his softly softly approach to President Robert Mugabe, is deeply distrusted by the opposition MDC in Zimbabwe and is viewed by many within the international community as unable to stand up to the veteran Southern Africa leader.

Diplomats are suggesting that former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who mediated successfully in Kenyas post-December political crisis, former Mozambique president Joaquim Chissano or Ghanaian president John Kufour would be far more acceptable in terms of a neutral candidate.

With criticism growing over President Mugabes role from within Africa and notably from leaders in Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania, a push to start to resolve the issue is expected to be made at next weeks G8 summit in Japan where a number of leading African statesmen will attend.

The Times newspaper reported last week that the UN was considering a shortlist of leading African politicians to help negotiate a political settlement in Zimbabwe.

It added that pressure was mounting in diplomatic circles for the key role of mediating an end to the crisis to be taken out of the hands of South Africas leader.

The view in top-level diplomatic circles is that Mr Mugabe has frequently pulled the wool over the eyes of Mr Mbeki, and that he will have a harder time from a United Nations or an African Union-led team.

The AU has already agreed a resolution calling on President Mugabe to negotiate with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who many believe was fraudulently defeated in the first round of voting in March.

The move to replace Mr Mbeki comes alongside discussions to increase so-called smart sanctions on Zimbabwe aimed at the ruling elite and their families.

These are expected to include a world-wide travel ban and a freezing of any assets held abroad. These are expected to be pushed through at the UN Security Council over the next few days.

Meanwhile, another report says that Western countries are prepared to backtrack on aid pledges they made to Africa in 2005 at the G8 summit because of the growing economic crisis.

At the Gleneagles summit in 2005, G8 leaders pledged to increase development aid to Africa to $25 billion a year.

But a draft communiqué obtained by the Financial Times in the UK, which is due to be issued at the July summit in Hokkaido, Japan, later this month shows leaders will commit to fulfilling our commitments on [development aid] made at Gleneagles  but fails to cite the target of $25 billion annually by 2010.

The only alternative solution in Zimbabwe is for the loser to cencede the election to the winner. All this talk about mediation and unity government will soon become the norm (in Africa, of course!!) whenever there is an election in which the party in power loses but then refuses to concede in hopes of finding a "solution". Solution for what if you have lost the election?

I WAS on telly at the show at African presidents' grand performance. It was hilarious.

Especially after Zimbwabwe's tough guy, Mzee Bob Mugabe, walked into the hall. Suddenly all the presidents started tying their shoe-laces.

Others hastily started holding talks with their aides -- anything but locking eyes with Mzee Bob.

The Mzee, who was flanked by burly toughs as he entered the hall majestically as he casted a daring glare to who will dare ask him if people in Zim love to be whacked by his thugs for their own good. No one said fyoko!

"Hi Mzee Bob Mugabe. Why did you come here? The whole world is watching, you know. Africa is building democracy and good governance. And worse, you've been killing people!" Kibaki will ask with a degree of indignation.

Mzee Bob, as cool as a cucumber, would eye Mzee Kibaki: "Huh, look who is talking! You? You Mwai lecturing me on killing people? I have hardly killed 100 trouble makers sent by the British colonialists. How many have you killed?

More than a thousand, Mwai, a thousand!" "What about the five million who have run away from Zimbabwe ? Refugees, Bob. That's not very nice."

"You call them refugees, I call them Zimbabwe tourists in South Africa. I hear that you people in Kenya were cutting off heads. Tell me how did it really go?"

Mwai hastily picks his coat and starts to leave. But Mzee Bob has not finished yet: "And Mwai, tell that young Raila, if he dares touch Zimbabwe, he might get a nasty car accident." Kibaki leaves without saying anything.

Enter Hosni Mubarak. "Asalaam aleykum, Mr Bresident. Waalahi, I will say the druth. You have stayed for too long as Brezident of Zimbabwe

. Are you thinking of retiring?"

Mzee Bob laughs loudly: "What? You Hosni Mubarak telling me that? I know you have been president of Egypt since Adam and Eve. But really I did not know that you can be funny. I am going to see some pyramids in Giza . You can come to Zim to check out on some wildlife." He chuckles.

"Shukran!" says Hosni Mubarak before heading out surrounded by burly members of the Egyptian secret service.

Enter Jack Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, and Chairman of the African Union and master diplomat. He looks at Mzee Bob and smiles widely at him, Bob Mugabe.

"I would like to praise President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga of Kenya for putting Kenya's interests ahead of their personal ambitions and ending the post-election violence.

"Kenya is now calm and the grand coalition is now working," President Kikwete says and gives Mzee Bob Mugabe another dazzling smile. Mzee Bob Mugabe starts to twiddle his fingers and grunts: "Cheeky young man!..." then he nods off.

Most of the time hai-make sense kuuendekeza "Uungwana" kila pahala, especially kwenye international arena... Muungwana alikuwa na nafasi ya kumaliza hili jambo kwenye mkutano wa Egypt. Why is he now trying to fool the world that he's committed to end the Zimbabwe crisis?

You don't need an alternate path in the presence of a clear path. It is a waste of resources!!!!